A man was fatally shot by a sniper from the Volusia Sheriff’s Office in Florida on Thanksgiving Day, following an extended exchange of gunfire that left the vicinity scattered with over 200 rounds of ammunition. The deceased, identified as Joseph DiFusco, was involved in a two-hour-long incident that occurred during the mid-to-late morning hours on Thursday. According to the local law enforcement, DiFusco was the only casualty of the incident.
The Volusia Sheriff’s Office had earlier advised residents to steer clear of a section of Ocean Shore Boulevard near the Kingston Shores condominiums in Ormond-by-the-Sea, a small seaside town approximately 70 miles northeast of Orlando. The advisory was issued in response to a man, later identified as DiFusco, firing multiple rounds outside his condo and at neighboring units. He also reportedly fired at a sheriff’s office vehicle from inside his condo, leading to the evacuation of neighbors and rerouting of traffic.
Volusia Sheriff Michael “Mike” Chitwood revealed that deputies had initially responded to a call from a man expressing suicidal thoughts. The man, who was spending the winter in Florida, a practice known as “snowbirding,” had traveled from Connecticut where he had previously received treatment at a Veterans Affairs hospital. The condo, rented through Airbnb, was occupied solely by DiFusco after his family, reportedly fearful of him, relocated to a different part of Florida.
DiFusco had a known history of mental health issues, and local authorities had been called to his residence multiple times in the days leading up to the fatal incident. “We were out there three times in the last four days,” Chitwood said during a press conference. The sheriff also noted that multiple weapons were used during the incident, which began with random firing into the surrounding area and escalated to shots being fired at responding deputies.
The sheriff stated that DiFusco had fired close to 200 rounds, causing significant damage to neighboring units and the surrounding area. Despite attempts to negotiate and the use of tear gas, DiFusco remained armed and barricaded in a back bedroom. He was eventually shot by a sniper from the sheriff’s office.
The number of firearms recovered from the condo, as well as the volume of ammunition used, contradicted initial information provided by the family. “The family told us he only had two guns and, like, one clip,” Chitwood said. “Well, you know, for all these hours we were out there, somebody wasn’t paying attention because he was armed for Armageddon, is what he was armed for.”
The gunfire ceased just before noon, with DiFusco being fatally shot by a sniper. “There was no negotiating with this guy,” the sheriff said. “My objective was to make sure every single deputy went home for Thanksgiving dinner … In 37 years, I don’t think I’ve ever had an experience where I had to position snipers and say, ‘You have a green light to do your job.’”